Elevator.



PATENTED 0M. 1, 1907. T. J. SPIGER.

ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 5, 1908.

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.UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. SPICEB, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-EfGHTHTO JAMES T. LAHEY AND ONE-EIGHTH TO U. GRANT BORDER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

ELEVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. Srronn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates toimprovements in elevators, and has for its object to provide means at each floor, after the car or cage has passed when ascending or descending,to prevent any one from falling down the elevator shaft in the-event of the door being left open. Also to provide means at each floor for cutting off the draft up the elevator shaft and prevent fire from being communicated to the several floors through the elevator shaft.

The invention consists of the new and novel parts and combination of parts hereinafter more fully set forth in the following specification and pointed out in detail in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing,-Figure 1 is a rear elevation of anelevator shaft, extending four stories, showing the cage at the lower floor and the platforms above the cage in position at each floor. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the cage at the upper floor and the platforms below the cage in position at each floor. Fig. 3 is a detailed plan view of one of the platforms. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of Fig. 3. I

Referring to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification and in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views thereof, 1 designates the elevator shaft; 2 the usual guide rails at the opposite sides of the shaft; and 3 the doors at the several floors, in the present instance four. The cage 4 is raised and lowered in the usual manner by the cable 5.

Suspended from the top of the elevator shaft area number of platforms 6, one less in number than the number of floors of the building, as the cage occupies one floor. Also suspended from the bottom of the cage 4 are a number of platforms 6 corresponding in number to those above the cage. The platforms 6 are hung so that one will be at each of the floors above the cage, no matter at what floor the cage may be, see Fig. 1, and the platforms 6 below the cage are also hung so that one will be at'each of the floors below the cage. These platforms may be made of any suitable material. In the present instance I have shown them constructed of a metal frame 7 across which is placed a concaved woven wire bottom 8 of sufficient strength to support the desired weight. This concaved woven wire 8 is covered with asbestos 9 to make the platforms fireproof and to cut off the draft and prevent fire from being communicated to the several floors through the elevator shaft. The platforms 6 being made concaved will cause the chains 1.0 to fall toward the center of the platforms.

As an additional protection against the chains falling over the side of the platforms I provide guards 11 formed by a flat piece of iron bolted against the frame 7 and projecting above the latter. On two of the sides the guards are formed of two pieces, the inner ends of which are bent at right angles to form the shoes 12 to fit the guide rails-2. The platforms 6 above the cage are also provided with a central aperture 13 through which the cable 5 projects, said aperture being provided with an upwardly projecting fiange or guard 14 extending all around to prevent the chains 10 from falling through said aperture. While the platforms below the cage need 'not be made with the central aperture 13, they may be so constructed, in order that the platforms above and below the cage may be interchangeable. When the cage is at the lower floor one of the platforms 6 will be at each of the floors above the cage, as seen in Fig. 1, and when the cage is at the upper floor one of the platforms 6 will be at each of the floors below the cage, as seen in Fig. 3. As the cage ascends it collects the platforms above and carries them on the top of the cage, at the same time lifting the platforms 6 below the cage, one at a time, to the several floors below the cage. As the cage descends theplatforms 6 below the cage are piled on top of each other at the bottom of the elevator shaft, and the platforms above the cage are left, one at a time, at the several floors as the cage passes.

It will be seen that the number of platforms above the cage, as well as those below, will be determined by the number of floors of the building. Those above and below the elevator being one less in number than the number of floors, as the cage always occupies one floor.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination with the cage and elevator shaft, of a plurality of concaved platforms suspended above the cage and adapted to be raised and lowered by the cage.

2. The combination with the cage and elevator shaft, of a plurality of concaved platforms suspended from the cage and adapted to be raised and lowered by said cage.

3. The combination with the cage and elevator shaft, of a plurality of concaved platforms suspended from the cage, and a plurality of concaved platforms suspended below the cage, the platforms above and below the cage being adapted to be operated by the cage.

4. The combination with the cage and elevator shaft of a plurality of concaved platforms suspended from the top of the elevator shaft and normally at each floor above the cage, and a plurality of concaved platforms suspended from the bottom of the cage, whereby when the cage is raised and lowered a platform will be at each of the doors above and below thecage.

5. The combination with the cage and elevator shaft having guide rails on opposite sides thereof, of a plurality of concaved platforms suspended above the cage and each having shoes on opposite sides to fit the said guide rails, and a plurality of eoncaved platforms suspended below the cage and each having shoes on opposite sides thereof to fit the said guide rails, the platforms above and below the cage being adapted to be raised and lowered by the latter.

6. The combination with the cage and elevator shaft, of a plurality of'concaved platforms suspended above the cage each having upwardly projecting guards around the sides thereof, and a plurality of concaved platforms suspended below the cage and having upwardly projecting guards around the sides thereof, the platforms above and below the cage being adapted to be operated by the latter.

7. The combination with the cage and elevator shaft,

signature in presence THOMAS J. SPICER. Witnesses:

Cll'APIN A. FERGUSON, JEAN .Tornu. 

